Winter is coming

Spring is one of the most comfortable temperatures of the year, making us forget that our heating and cooling systems even exist; but Utah weather is very unpredictable-it was 0 degrees last week and 60 degrees this week.

It is best to get a head start on spring, long before your ac stops working on an sweltering summer day (trust me, it happens too often), makes this the best time to get your air conditioner in tip-top condition.

                Here are some tips to help you get a head start:

DO:

§  Change your filter.

Sounds easy, right? But I bet you haven’t changed yours since your A/C froze last July. It is recommended that filters be replaced every month since they play an important role in cleaning the air we breathe. The filter also keeps the components in your furnace clean and free from obstructing air flow over the hot surfaces in your furnace. A dirty filter can clog your furnace causing it to overheat, damaging the heat exchanger-which can crack and release carbon monoxide into your home.

§  Make sure the vents in your home are free from obstruction.

Just like a dirty filter, a bed over a supply vent or a couch in front of a return air grill can restrict air moving through the furnace and putting strain on the blower motor and heat exchanger-shorting the life of your furnace.

§  Start your furnace and watch it through its start up process.

Make sure the gas to the furnace is on, and that the valve (usually red, sometimes yellow) is in line with the pipe. Once the burners are lit, watch the flame, it should stay relatively stable. If the flame seems unstable or goes out completely, you should call a qualified service technician.

DON’T:

§  Do not try to clean your furnace in anyway.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong; even something that would seem harmless-like vacuuming out the blower, for example, could knock a small wire lose or short out a part that could costs hundreds of dollars to fix.

§  Do not wait until your furnace is broken to have it inspected.

Most problems can be predicted, if you know what to look for-motors that are loud or making a weird sound, uneven or unstable flames or excessive dust build up in the blower compartment are just a couple things to look for that can be repaired before a complete shutdown of your furnace.